For those of you who are curious about what Bible classes in Biola are like, here's an example of an assignment that I had to turn in today. It's called an Interpretation/Meditation paper, where I have to interpret scripture, then meditate on it. The first section is about the context and general background of the text, the second is the general meaning of the passage, and the third is personal application. Please excuse me for two things:
1. It's not deep at all. This is because the assignment had a 2 page maximum. Plus, there were a lot more thing's I wanted to write about, but it would have pissed my professor off. Because of that, this is only a literal interpretation and does not connect the Genesis 22:1-19 to Christ on Calvary.
2. It's not written very well. I did all of the studying last night, but wrote the whole thing early in the morning today. Advice to other students: Don't Procrastinate.
Alright, I hope this helps whoever reads it in some way or another.
ps. This is unedited and has a deep secret of mine. Read it, know it, but don't ask. Enjoy
Kevin Kang
BBST 103-10:30
I/M Paper #1
Genesis 22:1-19
By the twenty second chapter of Genesis, Abraham is an old man who has been greatly blessed by God. He has been blessed with financial prosperity and has received from God everything that he has ever wanted. In addition to material things, God also gave him a son. This is significant because Sarah was barren, and could not have any children. After waiting over a hundred years, Sarah bore Isaac. Because of this, Isaac was the single most important person to Abraham. There was nothing more important to him. Moses writes this book so that the Israelites understand the history of their ancestors and the sequence events that brought them to where they were when it was written. This passage, in particular, is about how God gets Abraham to cast out his idol through testing him by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering.
In the beginning of the passage, God commands Abraham to go to Moriah and sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering.(v.1-2) Abraham does not hesitate, but wakes up early in the morning to start his journey to Moriah. On the third day, he sees the place where God had commanded him to go, and tells his young men to stay where they are, while he and Isaac goes to the mountain and worships.(v.3-5) They get all of the materials, and head towards to mountain.(v.6) Isaac asks Abraham where the lamb for the burnt offering is, but Abraham simply says that God will provide.(v.7-8) When they arrive, Abraham builds the altar, lays the wood, then lays Isaac on top of the wood.(v.9) He stretches out his hand to deliver the final blow, but God calls from heaven and stops him. He affirms him, saying that He now sees that Abraham fears God because he has not withheld his only son from Him.(v.10-13) Abraham looks behind him and sees that a ram has miraculously appeared. He takes it and sacrifices it.(v.14) He then names the place “The lord will provide.(v.15) God calls Abraham a second time and blesses him. (v.16-18) After all this, they return the young men and got together to Beersheba.
Before this event, Isaac was an idol to Abraham. Though Isaac was a gift from God, Abraham loved the gift more than the giver. God wanted his whole heart and devotion, not just the leftovers. Because of this, God put him through this test in order to empty him of everything. Through all of this, Abraham surrendered his son to God. Isaac was no longer an Idol and God became everything.
Through this passage, God is saying to me my heart must be completely changed. I am halfhearted in my relationship with God. I am an idolater, putting many people and things in front of God. He is telling me to remove the high places in my life and put Him on the throne. There are currently people I need to let go of in order to draw nearer to God. It has been a battle for the last couple of months. For example, I have put a certain girl as my idol. Though my friendship with her is somewhat Christ –centered, I have gradually put her in front of God. I have even gone to the point where I studied the bible more diligently in order to teach her more. Now, it’s time to give her and others up, and put God at the center of my heart. He deserves it. I have sinned against God, yet he gently drew me towards this realization. He did not rebuke me harshly, but in the uttermost kind and compassionate way. Our God is a great god who wants our whole hearts. Let us give Him our full devotion.
EDIT:
LOL
I got owned on the interpretation part, but got a good grade on the reflection part. Score 1 for Agent K and O for those who accuse him for being too into theology and not being practical. According to my professor, I'm all practical and 0% theological.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Manhood
In the last century, manhood has become watered down and sugar coated. People have forgotten the old values of being a man emotionally, spiritually, and economically. Many consider themselves men just because they have the physical attributes of a "man". They are emotionally unstable, spiritually immature as Christians, and still ask they're moms for lunch money. Little do they know, they're merely boys who can shave. And the sad thing is that they stay this way until they're around 36.
Many middle and high school guys act like little girls. They can't control their own emotions. They rebel against their parents and always pretend to go emo to get attention from their friends. I'm not saying that it's wrong for a man to cry. I'm saying that it's wrong for a man to force himself to cry as a plea for attention. In addition, a man should have emotional stability. I'm not saying that he can't slip every once in a while. Everyone makes mistakes. It's fine. However, he should be stable for the most part. It's really pathetic when I see a guy get into drama with a girl, yelling at her, and even threatening to hurt her. That really show something about their manhood.
This is a really funny one. A part of manhood is being economically independent. So many young guys thing they're men, but still get lunch money from they're moms. How could they even think about looking for a wife if they can't even support her?
Finally, what's most important about being a man is on the spiritual level(and obviously, I'm talking about being a biblical man). A man must be one who love's God and seeks Him every day. He should be able to guide his wife and children towards God. I'm not saying that he needs to be a theological genius and have a the knowledge in the world. However, what I'm saying is that he should have an adequate knowledge of scripture and spiritual maturity to pastor his own family. He should be the primary discipler of his children, teaching them the word and how to pray. Without this, it is impossible to be a man.
What I'm most disappointed about is the fact that these "men" see girls that they are interested in and pursue her without even examining themselves or even going to God, asking Him for approval. In the end, the girl is hurt, and scarred for years. No fruit comes out of these relationships and all it really is is SIN. I'm not trying to be legalistic here, but it just true. I have never seen a relationship where the guy is not a man yet honor God in a relationship. And these guys say things like, "what if she's the one?" But I say to you, So what!!! How dare you even think about pursuing one of God's daughters without His consent or even preparing yourself in being worthy of being acquainted with her. You have no right to touch her without God's permission. I don't care even if she is the one. Get right with God first, become a man, then pursue her.
I know that people will get angry with this blog entry, but I don't really care. I'm just trying to be honest share my heart with you all. Many of you will say that I'm a hypocrite, and I don't disagree. I too am merely a "boy who can shave". My goal for this blog is to challenge myself and as well as every guy to pursue God and to become a man according to biblical standards.
I'll end with this prayer:
God, I repent on behalf of myself and my generation of guys.
We have a corrupted view of manhood and dishonor you.
I pray that you forgive us for hurting our sisters, and more importantly, your daughters.
Won't you mold us, to become men of your likeness and character, that we may become men after your heart.
Lastly, I just want to thank you for this realization, and pray that you may be glorified in me.
Amen
Many middle and high school guys act like little girls. They can't control their own emotions. They rebel against their parents and always pretend to go emo to get attention from their friends. I'm not saying that it's wrong for a man to cry. I'm saying that it's wrong for a man to force himself to cry as a plea for attention. In addition, a man should have emotional stability. I'm not saying that he can't slip every once in a while. Everyone makes mistakes. It's fine. However, he should be stable for the most part. It's really pathetic when I see a guy get into drama with a girl, yelling at her, and even threatening to hurt her. That really show something about their manhood.
This is a really funny one. A part of manhood is being economically independent. So many young guys thing they're men, but still get lunch money from they're moms. How could they even think about looking for a wife if they can't even support her?
Finally, what's most important about being a man is on the spiritual level(and obviously, I'm talking about being a biblical man). A man must be one who love's God and seeks Him every day. He should be able to guide his wife and children towards God. I'm not saying that he needs to be a theological genius and have a the knowledge in the world. However, what I'm saying is that he should have an adequate knowledge of scripture and spiritual maturity to pastor his own family. He should be the primary discipler of his children, teaching them the word and how to pray. Without this, it is impossible to be a man.
What I'm most disappointed about is the fact that these "men" see girls that they are interested in and pursue her without even examining themselves or even going to God, asking Him for approval. In the end, the girl is hurt, and scarred for years. No fruit comes out of these relationships and all it really is is SIN. I'm not trying to be legalistic here, but it just true. I have never seen a relationship where the guy is not a man yet honor God in a relationship. And these guys say things like, "what if she's the one?" But I say to you, So what!!! How dare you even think about pursuing one of God's daughters without His consent or even preparing yourself in being worthy of being acquainted with her. You have no right to touch her without God's permission. I don't care even if she is the one. Get right with God first, become a man, then pursue her.
I know that people will get angry with this blog entry, but I don't really care. I'm just trying to be honest share my heart with you all. Many of you will say that I'm a hypocrite, and I don't disagree. I too am merely a "boy who can shave". My goal for this blog is to challenge myself and as well as every guy to pursue God and to become a man according to biblical standards.
I'll end with this prayer:
God, I repent on behalf of myself and my generation of guys.
We have a corrupted view of manhood and dishonor you.
I pray that you forgive us for hurting our sisters, and more importantly, your daughters.
Won't you mold us, to become men of your likeness and character, that we may become men after your heart.
Lastly, I just want to thank you for this realization, and pray that you may be glorified in me.
Amen
Friday, January 22, 2010
Song of Songs
Alright. For this blog, I will be writing down some of my QTs and just other thoughts in life. It is not a series of lectures or sermons, but just me sharing what God has been doing and what I have been learning. If no one reads these, i don't really care. I'll just have it be my QT journal. So, here's my first entry. Hope it helps you in some way.
Song of Songs can be interpreted in two ways. One is the relationship between a man and a woman, which is more literal, or between Christ and His church. As I read today, God showed me more of the latter. Specifically, He gave me emphasized three themes in the book. The first 2 are more of grace, the third more of rebuke. If any of you will actually read this, please bear with me. Its a little jumpy.
1. So, throughout the whole book, King Solomon is complimenting and wooing his bride. Although the bride has many flaws, Solomon is so madly in love with her that he disregards it completely and only looks her beauty. This can be proven when the bride says,"I am black but lovely...Do not stare at me because i am swarthy, for the sun has burned me.""(1:5-6) In the culture of that time, being dark skinned meant that someone was poor, and was considered unattractive. In addition to that, her hands and feet must have been full of scars and bruises from not only taking care of her own vineyard, but having to even be the "caretaker of [her brothers'] vineyards."(1:6) She was far from perfect, but her lover was still madly in love with her. This is exactly how it is between Christ and His church. Though we are so tainted with ugliness, immorality, perversion, and sin; Christ is still so madly in love with us. Through His blood, we are considered perfect in His eyes.
2. Some of you feel these days that God is so far from you. You frantically search for Him and desperately pray for His presence, but there is no answer. You feel abandoned. Well, here's a word to encourage you to persevere. Song of Songs 3:1-4:
1On my bedA)"> by night I sought him whom my soul loves;
C)"> I sought him, but found him not.
2I will rise now and go about the city,
in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
I sought him, but found him not.
3F)"> The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city.
"Have you seen him whom my soul loves?"
4Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go...
As we go throughout Christian life, God puts us in different seasons. At times, He even makes it seem like He's so far from us, that we feel totally abandoned. We search and search, but we can't find Him. Sometimes, it even weeks, months, or may be even years. However, it does not mean we should give up. God sometimes does this to stir in us such a love-sickness and longing for Him, that we will never let Him go. As soon as the bride found Solomon, she said,"I held him, and would not let go..." This was because she had developed such desperation for him, while he was gone. Likewise, this is what God sometimes does to us. So for those of you guys who are going through this period, I encourage you to persevere. You'll see why when He reveals Himself to you.
3. Before I start, lets read Song of Songs 8:6-7:
6Set me as a seal upon your heart,
asH)"> a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the LORD.
7Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
Does this sound familiar to any of you? If you guessed "You Wont Relent" by Misty Edwards, You are correct. This is exactly where she got those lyrics. This is exactly what God wants from His bride. He wants us to set Him(And only Him) as a seal upon our hearts. His love is so strong and passionate, and His jealousy for us burns like fire. His love is as strong as death, and His jealousy is as demanding as the grave. And this is not just poetry. He really means it literally. He really won't relent until He has it all. He is so passionate for us, but all we give Him is our leftovers. While He reaches out for us, we waste our lives playing stupid little video games, spending hours on facebook and watching television, and engaging ourselves in all kinds of immorality. He send His son to die on the cross, and we return the favor by spitting on His face. How low as have we Christians gone? Let us all meditate on this, and turn towards God, throwing away our idols and putting Him as a seal upon our hearts.
Until next time
Your Brother in Christ,
Kevin Kang
Song of Songs can be interpreted in two ways. One is the relationship between a man and a woman, which is more literal, or between Christ and His church. As I read today, God showed me more of the latter. Specifically, He gave me emphasized three themes in the book. The first 2 are more of grace, the third more of rebuke. If any of you will actually read this, please bear with me. Its a little jumpy.
1. So, throughout the whole book, King Solomon is complimenting and wooing his bride. Although the bride has many flaws, Solomon is so madly in love with her that he disregards it completely and only looks her beauty. This can be proven when the bride says,"I am black but lovely...Do not stare at me because i am swarthy, for the sun has burned me.""(1:5-6) In the culture of that time, being dark skinned meant that someone was poor, and was considered unattractive. In addition to that, her hands and feet must have been full of scars and bruises from not only taking care of her own vineyard, but having to even be the "caretaker of [her brothers'] vineyards."(1:6) She was far from perfect, but her lover was still madly in love with her. This is exactly how it is between Christ and His church. Though we are so tainted with ugliness, immorality, perversion, and sin; Christ is still so madly in love with us. Through His blood, we are considered perfect in His eyes.
2. Some of you feel these days that God is so far from you. You frantically search for Him and desperately pray for His presence, but there is no answer. You feel abandoned. Well, here's a word to encourage you to persevere. Song of Songs 3:1-4:
1On my bedA)"> by night I sought him whom my soul loves;
C)"> I sought him, but found him not.
2I will rise now and go about the city,
in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
I sought him, but found him not.
3F)"> The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city.
"Have you seen him whom my soul loves?"
4Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go...
As we go throughout Christian life, God puts us in different seasons. At times, He even makes it seem like He's so far from us, that we feel totally abandoned. We search and search, but we can't find Him. Sometimes, it even weeks, months, or may be even years. However, it does not mean we should give up. God sometimes does this to stir in us such a love-sickness and longing for Him, that we will never let Him go. As soon as the bride found Solomon, she said,"I held him, and would not let go..." This was because she had developed such desperation for him, while he was gone. Likewise, this is what God sometimes does to us. So for those of you guys who are going through this period, I encourage you to persevere. You'll see why when He reveals Himself to you.
3. Before I start, lets read Song of Songs 8:6-7:
6Set me as a seal upon your heart,
asH)"> a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the LORD.
7Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
Does this sound familiar to any of you? If you guessed "You Wont Relent" by Misty Edwards, You are correct. This is exactly where she got those lyrics. This is exactly what God wants from His bride. He wants us to set Him(And only Him) as a seal upon our hearts. His love is so strong and passionate, and His jealousy for us burns like fire. His love is as strong as death, and His jealousy is as demanding as the grave. And this is not just poetry. He really means it literally. He really won't relent until He has it all. He is so passionate for us, but all we give Him is our leftovers. While He reaches out for us, we waste our lives playing stupid little video games, spending hours on facebook and watching television, and engaging ourselves in all kinds of immorality. He send His son to die on the cross, and we return the favor by spitting on His face. How low as have we Christians gone? Let us all meditate on this, and turn towards God, throwing away our idols and putting Him as a seal upon our hearts.
Until next time
Your Brother in Christ,
Kevin Kang
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